Winding device for blind-raising members



July 15, 1952 HQFER 2,603,430

WINDING DEVICE FOR BLIND-RAISING MEMBERS Filed June 11, 1951 v 2 SHEETS-SHEET, l

9 f wd H fer lhueni July 15, 1952 A. HOFER 2,603,430

WINDING DEVICE FOR BLIND-RAISING MEMBERS Filed June 11, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 .Patented July 15, 1952 newer martian-Emma LRMYEMBERS .WINDlNG O FI ES 2 Alfred Hofer,Basel, Switzerland My invention has fdrfitsobject a; winding device for the member'us'ed for the raising oi blinds oi the" type wherein; the' said member is? wound over'a drum that is submitted to the amen of a spiral" spring;-

The arrangements, of; this'type'asiknown-hitm drawbacks;

" The' strap windihg. device, according to" my inventionjis.characterizedlbythe fact that there is, provided on the'drum a, brake'that is submitted to. l the tra'ctional, .s.tress.' exerted v by the blindholdingmmber while it islfur'thermore controll'abl'efby(hand! I f, t

rand: 2.0f thedrawing illustrate .by way of' exemplificatiom, two preferred embodiments the 'inventioni' S- -.'Iheidrfum l .of'theusualstructure that serves for the winding of. the strap or. cord .2 is secured to a'U-shaped' bracket'or support 3. The drum I is revolubly carriedrby; a spindle 4- and is providedwith innerjspiral, spring .5.th at ,urges the drum'in the direction of the arrow so as-to draw in the strap. 2 and itowind it over the drum.

,Thesecurihg of the arrangement isaprov-ided through-the. covering-'Tplate 6. that is securely screwed bntol the Wooden frame I. Said colverk- .ing plate- Qcarriesthe abovementioned U shap'ed bracket or support 3.. f

I Inside the-drum is provided including a brakeshoe- 8- witnits liningg8a, Said shoe and one end to the pivot 9,- Thebraking-actionis provided through a lever Ill pivotally secured to thesupport -3- and carrying aroller H engaging the brake shoe so as toexert a-pressure on the brake shee' as soonas the lever I is rocked :30 i. jthejjstrap'; Whenithestrap is released, the

" .Applicationiunell, 1951, Seria1"No. 230,931-

In Switzerland June 24,;l 950 1 ..7 Claims. (01. 242-107); g

in re'gister with said'roller towards the .drum I. The pivoting member I2' is. provided with 'a" lateral projection the free end of which is se- 'cured 'to a helical spring [6. The other end of 'thehelical spring lfi engages an opening. in the brake contrellinglever [0. To the freeend' of the-lever I IJ ispivotally secured a pusherrod'll assuming a direction substantially perpendicular o s v ra u er 'm mbrjr ktenqsiq Wardly: to aslight extent beyondjfan opening l9 in the covering plate 6, said opening serving as V a guide" for said pusher rod which'carries at its free end a'lcontrol' knob I8.

The operation of the arrangement'is as follows: As the strap .is submitted to. the action. of

the Weight of the blind, the roller "M is submitted toavertioal upwardly directed force component', that urges the rocking'memberlZ into clockwise angular movement. Thisprevides a tensioning of the. spring [6 which in its. turn .draws the lever l0 along and consequentlyactuates thebrake. The braking action is thereby substantially proportional to the tensionin 'of the strap.-

Whenthe'blind is to be drawn up, thestrap 2 isfdrawn jmanually down. This allows, the

pivotal, member, I2 torock anti-clockwise; Con- .s quent1 ,j"the tractionon' the, spring 1611s re- .1 s c nd t brak i d se a e t ma such tha t e, m I; m ate n Wi up blind remains stationary in the position that fhas been given to it, as the brake is again operative.

40 lining/8a are. shaped tomatch the curvature of the inner wal-l of the drum,- Y

. The brake shoe --is rockably secured through clockwise when seen. as shown inthe-drawing.

--There is also securedtothe support 3a pivot- .ing; member; ['25 provided with several arms and that is adaptedto rock round the'pivot I 3 on Wh'en' it'is desired. to lower the blind, it is necles salfyito rne'rely depress the knob l'8..;.'- This causes'xthelever lfl to rock antagonism with the; action oi thespring l6 and release thebrake.

It 'is' possible to' adjust, as "required, the speed at which the blind sinks through a corresponding more or less energetic action. on theknob 18.

The strap-winding device according to the invention, doesnot show the drawbacks referred to ,hereinablove. It is,no l onger necessary to clamp the strap in orderto brake the'movement ofthe. blind. '.The improved, brake arrangementjcuts iout any sudden jerks on the strap so that the ,latter is less submitted, to strain. Thisis. of specialinterest in the. case of light straps which ,remain serviceable for a much. longer time.

It is also possible to provide a, modification wherein the brake acts on the outside of the drum.....v a In contradistinction with the embodiment disclosed, it. is also possible to design the arrangement inla manner such-thatthedrum and brake.

instead of being fitted inside the wooden frame are secured outwardly thereof, this being necessary in those cases where it is not possible to lever round the pivot 9 rigid with the support 3' would urge the arcuate portion of the lever forming the actual brake against the inner portion of the drum. This is shown in Fig. 2.

V WhatI claim is: Y i 1. A winding device for blind raising members comprising a drum adapted to wind andto unwind said blind-raising member, a spiral spring urging said drum into its winding direction, a brake acting on said drum, a pivoting member, a

stationary support to which said member is pivotally secured; a guiding roller for the blindraising member revolubly carried by the pivoting 'jmember at adistance from its pivot on the stationary support, a levercontrolling the brake, a

stationary pivot for last mentioned lever, a spring connecting the pivotingmember with said lever, the blind'raising member engaging the roller to .urge said pivoting member under the action of the weight of the blind onisaid blind raising member into a position for which the pivoting memberurges the lever through the action of the spring into its brake-operating position. i

2. A windingdevice for blind-raising members comprising a drum adapted to wind and-unwind said blind-raising member, a spiral spring urging said drum into rotation in its winding direction,

a brake, acting .on said drum, a lever, controlling the operation of the said brake, a stationary support towhich said lever is pivotally secured, a

' memb er pivotally secured to thestationary support, a roller revolubly carriedby said pivoting -member and adapted to engage theblind-raising member and to be urged upwardly by same'under normal operative conditions to rock the'p'ivoting.

member away from the lever, aprojection on .said pivotingimember, a spring connecting said projection on the pivoting member with the lever,

adapted to urge the lever intoits brake-operating position when submitted to themechanical action of thepivoting'me'mber urged into its operative position by the? action of theblindecontrolling said drum into rotation in its winding direction,

a brake acting on said drum, a levericontrolling the operation of the said brake, a stationary support to which saidrlever'is pivotally secured, a

imember pivotally, secured to the stationary support, a roller revolubly carriedby said pivoting member and adapted to engage the blind rais- ,ing member andto be urged upwardly by same ,underenormal operativejconditions to rock the pivoting member away from the lever, a projection on said pivoting member, a spring connecting said projection on the pivoting member with the lever and adapted to urge the lever into its brake-operating position when submitted to the mechanical action of the pivoting member urged into its operative position by the action of the blind-controlling member on the roller, a rod pivotallysecuredto the free end of the brake operating lever and a knob on the outer end of said rod fadapted to be depressed to shift the lever to a 4 V varying extent out of its operative position in antagonism with the spring.

4. A'winding device for blind-raising members comprising a drum adapted to wind and unwind said blind-raising members, a spiral spring urging said drum into rotation in its winding direction, a brake acting on said drum, a lever controlling the operation of the said brake, a stationary support to which said lever is pivotally secured, a member pivotally secured to the stationary support, a roller revolubly carried by said pivoting member and adapted to engage the blind-raising member and to be urged upwardly by same under normal operative conditions to rock the pivoting member away from the lever,

a'proje'ction on said pivoting member, a spring connecting said projection on the pivoting member with the leverrand adapted to urge the lever into its-brake-operating' position when submitted tothefmechanical action' of the -pivoting member urged into its operative position by the action of the'blind controlling member on the roller, a-rod pivotally secured to the free endof the brake operating leverand a knob on the -outer e nd of said rod adapted to be depressed to shift the lever to a varying extent out of its operative position in antagonism with the spring and a covering plate for the different parts recited, provided with an opening for the passage of the knob-carrying rod. i

5, A winding device for blind-.raising members comprising a drum adapted to wind and to unwind said blind-raising member, aispiral spring urging said drum into its windingvdirection, a brakeacting on the inner periphery of saidfdr-um,'a, pivoting member, a stationary'support to 'whichjsaid member is pivotally secured, a guiding roller'for the blind-raising member revolubly carried by the pivoting memberat a distance from its pivot on the stationary support, a lever controlling, the brake, astationarypivot for last mentioned lever, a spring connecting the pivoting member with saidlever, the blind raising member engaging'the roller to urge said pivoting'member under the action of the weight of the blind on said blind raising member into a position for which the pivoting member urgesthe levervthrough the action of the springinto its brake operating position.

wind said blind-raisingvmember, a spiralspring urging said, drum into its winding direction, a brake acting on said drum, a pivoting member, a

stationary support to which said inemberis pivotally secured, a guiding roller for the blind-raising the'pivotingmember with said ievea e blind raising member engaging the roller'to'urgesaid f pivoting member underthe action of the weight of the; blind on said'blind raising member into a position for which the pivoting member urges the lever through the action of the spring into "its brake-operating position. i

r "7. A winding device for blind-raising members comprising a drum adapted to wind and unwind said blind-raising membena spiral spring urging said drum into rotation in itswinding direction, a brake acting on said'drum, a lever rigid with the said: brake, a stationary support to which said lever is pivotally securedf a'member pivotally secured to the stationary support, a roller revolubly so 1 6. A winding device for blindraising members comprising a drum adapted ,to wind and to un- 5 6 carried by said pivoting member and adapted to REFERENCES CITED engage the blmd'ralsmg member and be urged The following references are of record in the upwardly by same under normal operative condifile of this patent: tions to rock the pivoting member away from the lever, a projection on said pivoting member, a 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS spring connecting said projection on the pivoting Number Name Date member with the lever and adapted to urge the 323,090 Weber July 28, 1885 lever into its brake-operating position when sub- 323,091 Weber July 28, 1885 mitted to the mechanical action of the pivoting 323,293 Brown July 28, 1885 member urged into its operative position by the 10 323,294 Brown July 28, 1885 action of (the blind-controlling member on the 2,393,417 Ruttkay Jan. 22, 1946 roller. 2,393,511 Beede Jan. 22, 1946 ALFRED HOFER. 

